If you follow our posts, you’re already familiar with Quick Stops. Quick Stops are designed to give a nod to locations to which we can’t devote an entire post. The destinations are completely random and totally fun.

Just get in the car and we will be on our way!

First Stop: Very Large Array (New Mexico)

Where in the world is it?

The Very Large Array, or VLA for short, is located about 50 miles west of Soccoro, New Mexico off of US Highway 60, near the tiny town of Datil. The VLA is a collection of 27 dish-shaped antennas that combine to make a radio telescope which is part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Radio telescopes focus on things in the universe that give off radio waves, such as quasars and black holes. The dishes/antennas sit on tracks so they can be moved as needed, thus the array can span a distance of 23 miles. They also tilt and turn. (Take it from us…you don’t want to be standing underneath one of these things when they start moving!) Take a look…

Each dish/antenna measures 82 feet in diameter.

For those wanting to visit the VLA, here’s a website link for information: Very Large Array.

Pronghorns near VLA

Second Stop: Petrified Wood Gas Station

Where in the world is it?

The building is located at 501 Main Street, Lamar Colorado. Obviously, it is no longer a gas station, but we suspect that those holes in the concrete in front of the building are where the pumps used to be.

Up close. Petrified wood mosaic comprising the side wall of the building.

It’s a fact, Jack!

Carl Sagan was a guy who wore many hats, but he was primarily a renowned astronomer, astrophysicist, and author. He was acclaimed for his research on extraterrestrial existence and was a professor of astronomy at Cornell University. Actress Jodie Foster, a graduate of Yale University, starred in the popular 1997 movie, Contact. Parts of the movie were filmed at the Very Large Array. Carl Sagan wrote the book, Contact, upon which the movie was based. And now you know…

That’s all for this post. Thank you for joining us on our virtual tour of the VLA and the petrified wood gas station. We invite you to return to our site every week for another great adventure on the road. Until the next trip…

Travel safe, travel smart, and we will see you down the road!

Mike and Kellye

As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) We aren’t paid for our recommendations, and we only recommend our own tried and true vendors and venues. Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.